NEW DELHI: In a big relief for Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed his conviction in the 2019 “Modi surname” remark defamation case.
Staying the conviction, the SC said that the trial court did not give reason to justify maximum sentence of two years to Rahul Gandhi prescribed under the Indian Penal Code for defamation.
“No doubt that the utterances were not in good taste and that a person in public life is expected to exercise caution while making public speeches,” the apex court said.
The three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar said that the Gujarat HC also erred in not considering the aspect of why maximum sentence was given to Rahul Gandhi while rejecting his plea for stay of conviction
The SC stay on Gandhi’s conviction has paved the way for reversal of his disqualification from the Lok Sabha and he gets to return as Wayanad MP. Also, Rahul Gandhi can now contest 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“It’s a happy day…I will write and speak to Lok Sabha Speaker today itself,” Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said after the Supreme Court order.
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The Congress described the SC order as a “victory of love over hate”.
“Despite the relentless efforts of the BJP’s machinery, Rahul Gandhi has refused to bend, break or bow, choosing instead to place his faith in the judicial process,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.
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Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on March 24 following his conviction in the defamation case.
A Surat court on March 23 had sentenced Rahul Gandhi for two years in jail in the 2019 criminal defamation case in “Modi surname” remarks case.
